In Memoriam: Donald Bitzer, Pioneer of Computing
2024-12-13
The Computer History Museum mourns the passing of Donald L. Bitzer (1934-2024), a pioneering computer scientist. Co-inventor of the flat-panel plasma display and creator of the PLATO system—the world's earliest time-shared computer-based education system and a groundbreaking online community—Bitzer's innovations presaged many modern online features. PLATO included forums, message boards, online testing, email, chat rooms, instant messaging, and multiplayer games, laying the groundwork for the interconnected digital world we know today.